Gulf Greets Iran Truce Warily as Doubts, Attacks Persist

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(Bloomberg) — Gulf states are looking for clarity on the US-Iran ceasefire as attacks continue across the region.

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Gulf officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations, say the deal has eased fears of a broader escalation, but what comes next remains unclear and whether the truce will hold — or even fully apply to them — is in doubt. They say the underlying drivers of the conflict remain unresolved.

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Saudi Arabia said it intercepted nine missiles in the hours after the ceasefire was announced, highlighting the gap between the agreement and conditions on the ground. The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain also reported intercepting Iranian projectiles following the announcement.

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By early evening in the Gulf, Iran said it had halted ships looking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz — the opening of which was a key condition of the ceasefire — after Israel ramped up its invasion of Lebanon.

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Some Gulf states publicly praised the truce in statements issued after it was announced. But the assessments underscore the uncertainty facing key US partners in the Gulf — which host American forces and have opened their airspace and bases to the campaign — as they weigh whether the truce can hold long enough for trade and energy flows through Hormuz to normalize.

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“At least the worst has been averted. Having Trump hit infrastructure would have been a huge move with massive consequences,” said Ali Shihabi, a Saudi author and commentator close to the kingdom’s royal court. “The Gulf was going to be the first casualty.”

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Officials across the Gulf were still making sense of the agreement Wednesday. One person said Iran may have to get in its foxholes tonight.

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Others struck a more optimistic tone, with one senior official saying the frequency of attacks is likely to decrease in the coming days and another arguing both sides need the ceasefire and it will likely hold. 

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“At least we have two weeks of ceasefire — we expected exactly the opposite, we expected to go through hell,” said Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, a Dubai-based academic and commentator. 

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In official statements, Gulf foreign ministries stressed the need for unrestricted navigation through Hormuz, with Kuwait calling for an immediate halt to attacks and Qatar describing the deal as a first step toward de-escalation that must be built on to avoid renewed tensions.

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Countries across the region want a resolution to the nearly six-week conflict that has upended global markets and constrained energy supply, but view the ceasefire as a tactical move that could give Iran more room to maneuver. Some also see it as a bid to ease energy prices and buy time for the US, the officials said.